Welcome to Me

{{Infobox film

| name = Welcome to Me

| image = File:Welcome to Me poster.png

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Shira Piven

| producer = {{Plainlist|

}}

| writer = Eliot Laurence

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = David Robbins

| cinematography = Eric Alan Edwards

| editing = {{Plainlist|

Josh Salzberg
Kevin Tent

}}

| studio = {{Plainlist|

}}

| distributor = Alchemy

| released = {{Film date|2014|09|05|TIFF|2015|05|01|United States}}

| runtime = 87 minutes{{cite web | url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/AVF337264 | title=WELCOME TO ME (15) | work=British Board of Film Classification | date=8 March 2016 | access-date=8 March 2016}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross = $636,819{{cite web |url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3044574721/ |title=Welcome to Me (2015) |work=Box Office Mojo |access-date=May 10, 2015 }}

}}

Welcome to Me is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Shira Piven and written by Eliot Laurence. The film stars Kristen Wiig as Alice Klieg, a lottery winner with borderline personality disorder who uses her newfound wealth to write and star in her own syndicated talk show. The cast includes James Marsden, Linda Cardellini and Wes Bentley. The film was released on May 1, 2015, in a limited release,{{cite web |date= |title=Welcome To Me – Official Site |url=http://welcometomemovie.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430093016/http://welcometomemovie.com/ |archive-date=April 30, 2015 |access-date=2015-04-30 |website=welcometomemovie.com |publisher=Millennium Entertainment}} receiving generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Alice Klieg, a mentally ill single woman living on disability benefits and fan of Oprah Winfrey, wins the California Stack Sweepstakes lottery jackpot of $86 million. She appears on the local TV news celebrating her win but is upset when the speech she prepared is abruptly cut off after she mentions using masturbation as a sedative. She discontinues her medication against the advice of her psychiatrist, Daryl Moffat, and moves into a casino hotel with her best friend Gina Selway.

During a vitamin supplement infomercial presented by Gabe Ruskin, Alice, who is in the studio audience, responds to his request for a volunteer, hijacks the broadcast, and tries to recite her speech once again (although is again cut off by the director). Gabe's brother Rich, the co-owner and manager of the studio, introduces himself and arranges a meeting to discuss Alice's idea for a TV show at which time Alice writes a check for $15 million to pay for 100 live-broadcast, two-hour episodes of a vanity show about herself titled Welcome to Me.

Gabe is nonplussed over the show's aimless premise; but after Alice takes him on a date, they promptly have sex and begin a relationship. During the first episode, Alice announces she has given up her medication and includes a silent five-minute segment of herself eating meatloaf cake with mashed sweet potato icing and a live re-enactment of a scene from her past (with actors wearing name-cards playing her and a friend who had betrayed her in high school).

After seeing a recording, Alice decides the show looks too inexpensive and writes another check to bring the production values more in line with The Oprah Winfrey Show. The studio set is revamped to include a rotating stage and a replica of her house.

As the show grows in popularity, her friends and family become alienated by her non-flattering depictions of them in her sketches. Rainer Ybarra, a graduate student and fan of the show, interviews Alice about her rising stardom, and the two go on a date which ends with her fellating him in her limousine. Their tryst is revealed on air much to Gabe's fury.

While recovering from burns sustained in a cooking accident on the show, Alice decides to introduce a new theme of neutering dogs on the show utilizing her six years' experience as a veterinary nurse. Fed up with her volatility, Gabe finally quits.

Rich continues to support Alice's decisions until he and the studio are threatened with various lawsuits including slander and health code violations. Rich angrily interrupts the show demanding Alice cancel the veterinary procedures. Alice abandons the broadcast 40 minutes early, cancels her show, and settles the lawsuits leaving her with $7 million.

Alice suffers a nervous breakdown while walking naked through the main floor of the casino. She is hospitalized and resumes her medication. After being released, she apologizes to Dr. Moffat and contacts Rich to arrange a final episode of Welcome to Me. She invites her family and Gina to the broadcast - a lavish telethon aimed at finding owners for her dogs which she has neutered along with making amends to everyone she has wronged. In the show's last moments, Alice gives a heartfelt apology to Gina, praises her for her patience, and presents her with a check for the remaining $7 million of her lottery winnings.

With her life back to normal, Gabe takes Alice home and gives her a camcorder as a gift. When she goes to bed, she finally turns off the television she had left on continuously for over 11 years.

Cast

{{cast listing|

Kristen Wiig as Alice Klieg
Wes Bentley as Gabe Ruskin
Linda Cardellini as Gina Selway
Joan Cusack as Dawn Hurley
Loretta Devine as Barb Vaughn
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Deb Moseley
Thomas Mann as Rainer Ybarra
James Marsden as Rich Ruskin
Tim Robbins as Dr. Daryl Moffat
Alan Tudyk as Ted Thurber

}}

Production

File:Welcome to Me "VOICE AWARDS-2015" (21416963009).jpg

On March 20, 2013, Kristen Wiig was in talks to join the cast of the film and re-team with Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues cohorts Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, who produced.{{cite news|title=Kristen Wiig to Reteam With Will Ferrell on Indie 'Welcome to Me'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kristen-wiig-reteam-will-ferrell-430133|access-date=6 August 2013|newspaper=hollywoodreporter.com|date=20 March 2013}} On May 21, 2013, it was announced that Wiig had signed to star in the film.{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Dave |date=21 May 2013 |title=Kristen Wiig to star in Will Ferrell-produced comedy 'Welcome to Me' |newspaper=HitFix |url=https://uproxx.com/hitfix/kristen-wiig-to-star-in-will-ferrell-produced-comedy-welcome-to-me/ |access-date=December 8, 2022}}{{cite news |date=21 May 2013 |title=Kristen Wiig Confirmed for Welcome to Me |newspaper=movieweb.com |url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/kristen-wiig-confirmed-for-welcome-to-me |url-status=dead |access-date=6 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114133031/http://www.movieweb.com/kristen-wiig-confirmed-for-welcome-to-me |archive-date=November 14, 2014}} On July 16, 2013, more actors were added to the cast including Linda Cardellini, Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh.{{cite news|title=Linda Cardellini, Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh Join Kristen Wiig Film|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/linda-cardellini-tim-robbins-and-jennifer-jason-leigh-welcome-to-me-1200563687/|access-date=6 August 2013|newspaper=variety.com|date=16 July 2013}} On July 29, 2013, four more actors were added to the cast, Wes Bentley, James Marsden, Joan Cusack, and Alan Tudyk.{{cite news|title=Kristen Wiig-Starrer 'Welcome To Me' Adds Four To Cast As Production Kicks Off|url=https://deadline.com/2013/07/kristen-wiig-starrer-welcome-to-me-adds-four-to-cast-as-production-kicks-off-551961/|access-date=6 August 2013|newspaper=Deadline Hollywood|date=29 July 2013}} On December 3, 2014, Millennium Entertainment acquired the American distribution rights to the film.{{cite news|last1=Lesnick|first1=Silas|title=Millennium Entertainment Takes Welcome to Me, Starring Kristen Wiig|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/388651-millennium-entertainment-takes-welcome-to-me-starring-kristen-wiig|access-date=December 4, 2014|publisher=comingsoon.net|date=December 3, 2014}}

Principal photography began in July 2013 in Los Angeles and filming mostly in Greater Los Angeles Area. The film was shot in Indio, California, filming a scene at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino hotel. The crew also filmed scenes in Inland Empire, Banning, Beaumont and Cabazon.{{cite news |date=5 August 2013 |title=Kristen Wiig in Coachella Valley filming 'Welcome to Me' |newspaper=mydesert.com |url=http://voices.mydesert.com/2013/08/05/kristen-wiig-in-coachella-valley-filming-indie-movie/ |url-status=dead |access-date=6 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809183458/http://voices.mydesert.com/2013/08/05/kristen-wiig-in-coachella-valley-filming-indie-movie/ |archive-date=August 9, 2013}} On August 14, filming took place in Palm Springs.{{cite news |date=14 August 2013 |title='Welcome to Me', starring Kristen Wiig, begins filming in Palm Springs, CA |newspaper=onlocationvacations.com |url=http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2013/08/14/welcome-me-starring-kristen-wiig-begins-filming-in-palm-springs-ca/ |url-status=dead |access-date=15 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028150426/https://onlocationvacations.com/2013/08/14/welcome-me-starring-kristen-wiig-begins-filming-in-palm-springs-ca/ |archive-date=October 28, 2021}}

Release

The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2014.{{cite web |author=Pond |first=Steve |date=2014-09-05 |title=Kristen Wiig's 'Welcome to Me' – Comedy, Tragedy, Nudity |url=https://www.thewrap.com/kristen-wiigs-welcome-to-me-comedy-tragedy-nudity/ |access-date=2015-04-30 |website=TheWrap}}

Box office

It was released in United States theaters on May 1, 2015.{{cite web|last=Rich |first=Katey |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/02/welcome-to-me-poster |title=Welcome to Me Poster Exclusive |publisher=Vanityfair.com |date=2015-02-12 |access-date=2015-04-30}} The film grossed $38,168 from 2 screens. The following week the film jumped from 41st place to 29th place, earning $188,067 from 133 screens. The film closed with $636,819 after spending seven weeks in the box office.

Home media

The film was also released on May 8, 2015, through Hoopla, an online streaming media service used by libraries. This was the first time a first-run film was released simultaneously in theaters and on Hoopla.{{Cite web |date=May 8, 2015 |title=Right NOW, your library card will be worth the price of admission to the premiere of the first-run movie, Welcome to Me, opening nationwide! |url=http://library.hoopladigital.com/whats-new/2015/4/welcome-to-me-available-instantly-from-hoopla-the-same-day-as-theaters |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074511/http://library.hoopladigital.com/whats-new/2015/4/welcome-to-me-available-instantly-from-hoopla-the-same-day-as-theaters |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |website=Hoopla}} The film was also released on video on demand and digital stores as well beginning on May 8, 2015.{{cite web |date=May 8, 2015 |title=What's New on VOD: 'Jupiter Ascending', 'Blackhat', Kristen Wiig And More |url=http://decider.com/2015/05/08/new-on-vod-may-8/ |access-date=February 20, 2016 |work=Decider}}

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 16, 2015, in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://undertheradarmag.com/news/watch_kristen_wiig_linda_cardellini_and_james_marsden_in_welcome_to_me_feat|title=Watch: Kristen Wiig, Linda Cardellini, and James Marsden in "Welcome to Me" Featurette|work=undertheradarmag.com|date=June 16, 2015|access-date=May 11, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://kutv.com/news/entertainment/new-dvd-and-blu-ray-releases-for-june-16-2015|title=New DVD and Blu-ray Releases for June 16, 2015|date=June 16, 2015|work=KUTV|access-date=May 11, 2020}}

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a rating of 74%, based on 108 reviews, with a rating of 6.46/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A transfixing central performance by Kristen Wiig holds Welcome to Me together and compensates for its uneven stretches."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/welcome_to_me/ |title=Welcome to Me (2015) |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=May 10, 2020}} On Metacritic, the film has a score of 69 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/welcome-to-me |title=Welcome to Me Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=May 3, 2015}}

In his New York Times review, A.O. Scott wrote that "By turns touching, amusing and genuinely disturbing, [Welcome To Me] defies expectations and easy categorization, forgoing obvious laughs and cheap emotional payoffs in favor of something much odder and more interesting."{{cite web |last=Scott |first=A.O. |date=April 30, 2015 |title=Welcome to Me Review |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/01/movies/review-kristen-wiig-as-a-bipolar-lottery-winner-in-welcome-to-me.html |access-date=May 10, 2019 |website=The New York Times}}